Look  for  the  Dutch  Boy  Painter 
on  the  side  of  the  White 
Lead  Keg. 


*v^;y  l/srawv 

90LUMBU 


Bogan  4r  Company,  Chie*go  and  N*w  Tark 


c_Art  in  House  Painting 


Tasteful  Color  Schemes 
Described  and  Illustrated 


National  Lead  Company 


New  York,  Boston,  Buffalo,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  Cleveland,  St.  Louis. 
Philadelphia:  John  T.  Lewis  & Bros.’  Co. 

Pittsburgh:  National  Lead  & Oil  Co. 


How  To  Select  A Color  Scheme 


HE  selection  of  the  right  color  scheme 
**  ' for  one’s  house  adds  dollars  and  cents 
to  the  value  of  the  property  as  well  as 
gives  satisfaction  and  pleasure  to  the 
owner  and  his  neighbors. 

In  the  pages  which  follow  we  have 
shown  in  colored  engravings  ten  model  schemes  for  the 
artistic  painting  of  various  styles  of  houses  and  at  the 
foot  of  the  page  opposite  each  house  is  given  a 
secondary  suggestion  for  painting  the  same  house, 
making  twenty  plans  in  all. 

Special  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  in  the 


engravings  it  has  been  the  attempt  to  give  the  general 
effect  which  the  actual  house  would  make  on  the 
observer,  not  to  show  the  exact  tint  of  the  paint  in 
the  pail.  Shadows  here,  high  lights  there  and  the 
general  effects  of  contrasts  with  surrounding  verdure, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  illusions  caused  by  distance  and 
atmosphere,  prevent  our  seeing  just  as  they  are  the 
colors  with  which  a house  is  painted.  That  is  why 
a customer  is  so  often  disappointed  with  his  house 
after  it  has  been  painted  according  to  a scheme  which 
has  been  shown  to  him  merely  by  means  of  bits  of 
colored  card-board.  The  painter  may  have  faithfully 


PLATE  I. 

Suggestion  No.  1 (as  in  illustration ) — Body , cream ; trimming,  French  gray;  sash, 
white;  roof  and  blinds,  dark  brown.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  yellow  drab;  trim- 
ming and  roof,  dark  olive ; sash,  Indian  red ; roof,  weathered. 


A little  knowledge  of  paint  will  save 
the  house-owner  considerable  money 
and  vexation. 


Roof  and 
Blinds 

Dark  Brown 


Trimming 
French  Gray 


Body 

Cream 


Plate  I . 

See  description  on  page  opposite 


reproduced  the  colors  chosen  but  the  effect  when 
on  the  house  is  totally  different  from  what  was 
anticipated. 

By  a simple  and  natural  method  we  have  succeeded 
in  overcoming  this  serious  obstacle.  We  have  em- 
ployed a competent  artist  to  color  the  photographs  as 
the  actual  houses  looked  to  him.  Then  as  a practical 
guide  for  the  mixing  of  the  colors  we  have  pasted  on 
the  same  page  with  the  house  color-cards  showing 
the  actual  tints  of  the  paint  with  which  the  house  was 
painted.  The  painter  should  mix  his  paints  to  match 
these  cards. 

Various  practical  suggestions  about  painting  houses 
will  be  found  on  the  pages  opposite  the  engravings. 


It  should  be  added  here,  however,  that  no  attempt 
has  been  made  to  present  expensive  and  pretentious 
houses  only,  nor  to  offer  models  for  building  new 
houses.  Rather,  we  have  tried  to  show  what  can  be 
done  with  various  types  of  actual  and  prevalent  houses, 
ranging  from  the  simple  and  modest  to  the  more 
elaborate  and  imposing,  by  tasteful  selection  of  color 
schemes  to  suit  the  type  to  which  one’s  house 
belongs. 

The  practical  plan  of  the  book  as  indicated  by  the 
two  unusual  features  described  will  appeal  to  those 
who  have  been  accustomed  to  the  ordinary  pam- 
phlets or  cards  hitherto  available  for  the  house- 
owner’s and  painter’s  use. 


PLATE  II. 

Suggestion  No.  I (as  in  illustration) — Body , white ; no  trimming ; sash,  Tuscan  red; 
roof,  medium  olive.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  yellow;  trimming,  including  columns, 
white;  sash,  black;  roof,  dark  brown. 


f — 

6 

I 

■ I 

it 

See 


Plate 


description  on 


I I . 

page 


opposite 


Pure  White  Lead  and  Linseed  Oil 
paint  is  the  cheapest  and  most  econ- 
omical because  it  outlasts  the  adul- 
erated  kind  and  the  latter  is  often 
higher  in  price. 


M&Xyfc; : i 

i4  { . * "?■  -•  v*:Vf ■ S 


Roof 

Medium 

Olive 


Sash 

Tuscan  Red 


Blinds 
Blind  Green 


■A. 


When  to  Use  and  When  to  Avoid  Certain  Tints 


A house  which  is  set  closely  among  trees  or  other 
verdure  should  not  be  painted  green  or  olive,  though 
there  may  be  no  objection  to  green  trimming.  Colors 
contrasting  with  the  surroundings  are  better  for  the 
body. 

If  a house  is  low  with  a tendency  to  “ squattiness  ” 
a dark  color  should  not  be  used.  Paint  it  light  and 
preserve  what  height  it  possesses. 

Nothing  is  better  than  pure  white  for  certain  styles 
of  country  and  suburban  houses,  especially  if  set 
snugly  against  a green  background  and  amidst  green 
surroundings.  Naturally,  however,  white  is  a poor 


scheme  for  factory  towns  or  other  dirty  localities.  In 
some  conditions  a very  light  gray,  like  French  or 
pearl  gray,  may  be  preferable  to  pure  white,  as  less 
glaring  and  more  durable,  yet  giving  approximately 
white  effects. 

Houses  with  shingled  upper  stories  as  a rule  should 
be  painted  on  the  lower  story  a lighter  shade  than  the 
shingles.  The  shingles  may  be  painted  Indian  red, 
dark  brown,  dark  green,  or  some  olive  shade.  The 
body  should  harmonize ; as  light  or  dark  olive  with 
Indian  red,  cream  with  browns,  the  grays  with 
dark  green. 


PLATE  III. 

Suggestion  No.  1 (as  in  illustration) — Body,  fawn ; trimming,  white;  sash,  Tuscan 
red;  gables,  Tuscan  red;  roof,  weathered.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  slate  green; 
trimming,  medium  olive;  sash,  white;  gables  and  roof,  Indian  red. 


Plate  III. 

See  description  on  page  opposite 


One  never  hears  of  a painter  using 
anything  on  his  own  house  but  pure 
White  Lead  and  Linseed  Oil. 


As  a general  rule,  the  trimming  should  be  darker 
than  the  body,  but  there  are  exceptional  cases  where 
a light  tint  for  trimming  illuminates  the  scheme  and 
looks  well. 

All  colors  and  tints  are  not  equally  durable.  Cold 
colors,  like  the  grass  greens,  blues  and  certain  cold 
shades  of  yellow,  hasten  the  deterioration  of  the  paint 
film.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  do  not  reflect 
or  turn  back  the  heat  rays  of  the  sun  but  allow  them 
to  penetrate  the  film. 

Tints  based  on  the  reds,  browns  and  blacks  are  as 
a rule  the  most  durable.  Thus  the  grays,  the  slates, 
the  browns,  the  richer  yellows,  etc.,  are  excellent 
for  wear  and  are  at  the  same  time  the  most 
pleasing  on  the  house.  We  have  therefore  recom- 


mended them  most  frequently  in  our  designs. 

Perhaps  a word  should  be  added  for  the  benefit  of 
those  who  may  have  always  thought  of  White  Lead 
as  good  for  white  paint  only.  The  fact  is  white  is 
and  must  be  used  as  the  base  in  making  all  paints  of 
light  tint  and  many  paints  of  dark  shades,  too.  Black 
and  certain  intense  shades  of  blue,  red,  brown  and 
yellow  can  be  produced  without  using  any  white 
base,  but  by  far  the  greater  number  of  tints,  especially 
those  most  admired  for  house-paint  and  the  most 
durable  for  that  purpose,  are  made  by  mixing  a small 
portion  of  tinting  color  with  a large  portion  of  White 
Lead.  Some  natural  colors  are  so  strong  that  a few 
ounces  will  give  a deep  tint  to  a hundred  pounds  of 
White  Lead. 


PLATE  IV. 

Suggestion  No.  1 (as  in  illustration) — Body,  white ; trimming  and  roof,  slate  green ; 
sash,  bronze  green  ; blinds,  blind  green.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  white  with  no 
trimming;  sash,  bronze  green  ; roof,  medium  olive;  blinds,  blind  green. 


If  chalk,  barytes,  ground  quartz  and 
such  are  really  good  for  paint,  why 
are  they  always  labeled  White  Lead? 
If  not  valuable  why  are  they  sold  as 
paint? 


Plate  IV. 

See  description  on  page  opposite 


Good  Color  Schemes  Useless  If  Paint  is  Poor 


Color  schemes,  no  matter  how  artistic  or  pleasing, 
are  planned  in  vain  unless  the  material  used  in  the 
painting  is  such  as  to  insure  permanency. 

In  securing  good  paint  it  is  not  all  a question  of 
materials,  although  that  is  probably  the  most  impor- 
tant feature.  Note  carefully  the  essential  points  as 
follows  : 

1.  Pure  White  Lead. 

2.  Pure  Linseed  Oil. 

3.  Best  quality  Turpentine  and  Drier. 

4.  The  lead  and  oil  and  drier  must  be  mixed  fresh  just  before 

applying. 


5.  The  proportion  of  lead  and  oil  must  be  varied  for  new  or 
old  wood,  for  hard  and  dense  wood,  for  soft,  porous  and 
dry  wood,  etc.,  and  for  each  different  coat.  A painter 
should  be  employed  who  knows  how  to  mix  paint  right 
and  apply  it  right. 

Not  all  white  pastes  which  are  called  “ Pure  White 
Lead  ” on  the  label  are  really  White  Lead.  There 
is  probably  no  product  which  is  more  grossly  adulter- 
ated and  imitated.  There  are  two  ways  of  making 
yourself  safe  — both  of  them  simple.  One  is  to  buy 
White  Lead  of  our  manufacture  (see  fac-simile  of 
reproduction  of  brand  on  the  back  cover),  or  if  you  are 


PLATE  V. 

Suggestion  No.  1 ( as  in  illustration) — Body,  medium  slate;  trimming,  French  gray; 
sash,  black;  roof,  medium  olive.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  neutral  drab;  trimming, 
medium  olive;  sash,  Indian  red;  roof,  slate  green  or  medium  slate. 


Read  the  text  of  this  book  carefully. 
It  contains  money-saving  ideas  for  the 
house-owner. 


Plate  V. 

See  description  on  page  opposite 


not  quite  ready  to  take  our  word  for  it  that  our 
product  is  absolutely  pure,  send  for  our  book,  “ A 
Talk  on  Paint”,  which  describes  a simple  test  by 
which  you  can  try  any  White  Lead  and  prove  whether 
it  is  Dure  or  adulterated.  It  is  the  test  which  all 
chemists  use,  and  it  is  a sure  one. 

Not  only  are  mixtures  of  White  Lead  with  various 
other  pigments  sold  as  Pure  White  Lead,  but  they 
appear  quite  as  frequently  in  the  form  of  ready-mixed 
paints.  The  convenience  of  the  latter  paints  for 
touching  up  chairs  and  one  thing  or  another  about  the 
house  tempts  the  house-owner  to  use  them  without 
inquiring  whether  they  will  wear  or  not.  But  the 


painting  of  a house,  where  the  outlay  is  considerable, 
is  a serious  proposition  and  the  question  of  durability 
becomes  all-important.  Paint  durability  depends 
mostly  on  the  purity  of  the  White  Lead  and  Linseed 
Oil.  Ready-mixed  paints  always  contain  some  other 
pigment  besides  pure  White  Lead,  and  frequently 
some  other  oil  besides  Linseed.  Some  are  grossly 
adulterated,  being  made  up  of  chalk,  barytes  or 
similar  stuff  and  very  little  White  Lead.  Other 
manufacturers  use  more  White  Lead,  and  are  justly 
proud  of  the  fact.  But  none  uses  more  than  50  or  60 
per  cent  White  Lead,  and  60  per  cent  of  good  material 
is  hardly  enough  to  guarantee  the  merit  of  the  whole. 


PLATE  VI. 

•Suggestion  No.  1 (as  in  illustration) — Body , buff;  trimming  and  sash,  white;  roof, 
weathered ; blinds,  blind  green.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  buff;  trimming,  Indian 
red;  sash,  white;  roof,  weathered ; blinds,  Indian  red. 


Chalk,  barytes,  white  clays,  etc.,  which 
look  like  White  Lead,  are  often  sold 
as  White  Lead.  We  guarantee 
our  White  Lead  to  be  pure  and 
unmixed  with  any  other  pigment. 


Plate  VI. 

See  description  on  page  opposite 


Common  Faults  in  Painting 


If  the  Linseed  Oil  is  adulterated  the  paint  will  never 
dry  properly  and  the  film  never  becomes  tough. 

Adulterations  are  difficult  to  detect,  there  being 
no  simple  and  absolute  test,  as  there  is  for  White 
Lead.  The  presence  of  fish  oil  and  generally  rosin 
oil  can  be  detected  by  the  rank  odor;  for  pure  Linseed 
Oil,  when  rubbed  briskly  between  the  hands,  has  the 
pleasant  and  familiar  aroma  of  flaxseed.  But  com  oil 
(which  is  a more  frequent  adulterant  now-a-days), 
while  possessing  a strong  odor,  cannot  always  be 
detected  unless  a large  quantity  has  been  used.  If 
a few  drops  of  Linseed  Oil  be  placed  upon  a black 


painted  surface  and  a bluish  tinge  or  cast  appears 
about  the  edge,  such  as  kerosene  exhibits,  it  is  evi- 
dence of  adulteration  by  use  of  petroleum. 

But  even  chemists  are  sometimes  deceived  by  the 
more  subtle  adulterations  and  the  best  protection  is 
the  name  of  a reliable  maker.  Learn  by  inquiry  what 
is  generally  recognized  as  a reputable  brand  and  insist 
on  your  painter’s  using  it. 

The  paint  film  is  apt  to  crumble  if  the  ingredients 
are  not  mixed  in  proper  order.  This  crumbling  or 
“ chalking  ” is  then  blamed  on  the  White  Lead.  The 
remedy  is  properly  the  painter’s  business,  but  we 


PLATE  VII. 

Suggestion  No.  1 (as  in  illustration) — Body,  yellow ; trimming  and  sash,  white;  roof 
and  blinds,  blind  green.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  white;  no  trimming ; sash,  Tuscan 
red  ; blinds,  dark  olive. 


I\  Mk 

8H'  - ri 

Jl 

1 

1 ::: 

See 


Plate  VII. 


description  on  page 


opposite 


If  you  want  your  house  to  stay  bright 
and  fresh  it  is  worth  the  trouble  to 
look  at  the  brand  on  the  White  Lead 
keg.  See  back  cover. 


mention  it  here  because  the  house-owner  himself  is 
frequently  responsible.  By  insisting  on  a low  price 
he  indirectly  influences  the  painter  to  hurry  and  to 
adopt  short-cuts  at  the  expense  of  good  work.  The 
White  Lead  paste  should  first  be  thinned  slightly  by 
mixing  with  a little  oil.  Tinting  colors  should  next 
be  added,  then  the  rest  of  the  oil.  Finally,  the  thinner 
(turpentine)  should  be  stirred  in,  and  for  outside  work 
not  more  than  one  part  turpentine  should  be  used  to 
five  parts  oil. 

Paint  is  more  easily  mixed  and  will  spread  farther 
if  more  thinner  is  used  than  we  recommend  and  if 
it  is  added  before  the  final  oil.  A contractor  may  be 
able  to  make  a slightly  lower  bid  by  doing  the  job  in 
a way  which  allows  him  to  work  faster  and  spread 


the  paint  out  farther,  but  the  house-owner  should 
remember  that  spreading  the  paint  over  a large 
surface  is  one  thing,  while  covering  the  surface 
properly  and  producing  a paint  film  which  will  wear 
well  are  entirely  different  things.  A slight  saving  at 
the  expense  of  durability  will  be  costly  in  the  end. 
Have  a pure  paint  mixed  right  and  put  on  in  coats  of 
proper  thickness.  A job  will  result  which  will  put 
off  the  day  of  repainting  several  years. 

That  is  true  economy  in  painting. 

A common  fault  observed  L.  some  paint  is  its  tend- 
ency to  scale  off  in  flakes,  leaving  the  wood  entirely 
exposed.  This  is  generally  due  to  zinc  or  other  hard 
substance  which  has  been  mixed  with  the  White 
Lead  to  cheapen  it  or  to  obtain  a hard,  enamel-like 


PLATE  VIII. 

Suggestion  No.  1 (as  in  illustration) — Body,  slate  green  ; trimming  and  roof,  medium 
olive;  sash,  Indian  red;  gables  and  blinds,  dark  olive.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body, 
light  gray;  trimming  and  blinds,  chocolate  brown;  sash  and  gables,  dark  brown; 
roof,  weathered. 


opposite 


A painter’s  advice  on  paint  materials 
is  obviously  the  best  to  be  had — bet- 
ter even  than  a dealer’s,  for  the  latter 
knows  only  what  he  is  told  but  the 
painter  knows  from  experience.  Ask 
the  painter. 


• t i*.*’.  **V;«  .* 

siv  ” 


Plate  VIII 

See  description  on  page 


surface.  The  reason  for  scaling  is  that  the  zinc  dries 
hard  and  inelastic  and  the  film,  being  unable  to  ex- 
pand and  contract  with  the  wood  beneath,  cracks 
away  from  the  wood  and  then  scales  off.  Pure 
White  Lead  and  Pure  Linseed  Oil  make  a very  elastic 
film,  which  on  a surface  properly  prepared  never 
cracks  or  scales. 

Scaling  paint  is  not  only  unsightly  but  adds  to  the 
next  painting  bill.  It  always  scales  in  spots,  leaving 
here  and  there  paint  tightly  clinging  to  the  wood. 
This  must  be  burned  off  before  the  next  painting  is 
done,  involving  expense  for  the  painter’s  time  and 
exposing  the  house  to  danger  from  fire. 

However,  the  advantage  of  White  Lead  and  Lin- 
seed Oil,  bought  separately  and  mixed  into  paint 


when  you  are  ready  to  use  it,  lies  not  only  in  the  fact 
that  you  can  thus  assure  yourself  that  the  White 
Lead  is  unadulterated  and  that  the  oil  is  really 
Linseed,  but  also  in  the  fact  that  the  paint  is  fresh — 
not  spoiled,  as  any  housepaint  is  which  is  mixed  and 
then  allowed  to  stand  for  weeks  and  months  in  fac- 
tory, freight  cars  and  stores.  Paint  will  spoil  just  as 
quickly  in  a tightly  sealed  can  as  in  the  open  air,  for 
it  is  not  the  air  which  does  the  mischief  but  the  action 
of  the  pigment  and  oil  upon  each  other. 

Moreover,  when  you  have  White  Lead  and  Oil, 
made  fresh,  they  can  be  mixed  in  just  the  right  pro- 
portions for  your  particular  job,  the  proportions  varying 
according  as  the  wood  is  new  or  old,  green  or  dry, 
dense  or  porous,  etc.,  which,  of  course,  is  not  the 


PLATE  IX. 

Suggestion  No.  I (as  in  illustration ) — Body , pearl  gray ; trimming , white;  sash,  Indian 
red ; roof,  medium  slate.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Body,  very  light  terra  cotta  ; trimming 
and  roof,  Indian  red;  sash,  white;  (Effect  much  the  same  as  plate  No.  Ill  with  white 
trimming  omitted). 


Plate  IX. 


See  description  on  page 


opposite 


If  some  one  recommends  any  paint 
as  “better  than  lead  and  oil”  be  on 
your  guard.  He  is  going  contrary  to 
present  knowledge  and  past  experi- 
ence. 


Body 

Pearl  Gray 


case  if  the  paint  is  mixed  in  a factory  miles  away  by 
someone  who  has  never  examined  your  house.  A 
good  painter  would  no  more  think  of  putting  the  same 
kind  of  paint  on  every  condition  of  surface  than  a 
good  doctor  would  of  giving  diphtheria  medicine  to 
cure  small-pox. 

Just  why  some  paint  stays  on  and  others  scale  off 
is  explained  clearly  and  simply  in  our  book:  “A  Talk 
on  Paint  ”,  which  we  will  send  you  on  request.  If 
you  already  have  one  of  these  books  turn  to  Chapter 
II  and  read  “ What  Paint  Does.” 

White  Lead  and  Linseed  Oil  paint,  made  to  order 
by  the  painter,  is  the  most  economical  protection  for 
a building  that  money  can  buy.  Its  first  cost  per 


gallon  is  less  than  some  house  paints,  it  takes  less  to 
properly  cover  a given  surface  than  any  other  paint, 
high  or  low-priced,  and  when  it  comes  to  durability  it 
is  in  a class  by  itself. 

It  is  no  wonder  then  that  most  paints,  whatever 
their  composition,  are  so  often  represented  as  “ pure 
white  lead  ”.  Here  is  where  the  house-owner’s 
difficulty  arises — to  get  pure  White  Lead.  Look  for 
the  Dutch  Boy  painter  on  the  side  of  the  keg  and  the 
brand  on  the  head  as  shown  on  the  back  cover.  Fix 
these  in  your  mind  and  you  need  never  be  imposed 
upon.  We  guarantee  all  White  Lead  so  marked  to  be 
pure  and  made  right. 


PLATE  X. 

Suggestion  No.  1 tas  in  illustration) — Body , dark  olive;  trimming  ( including  the  half -tim- 
ber work)  Indian  red ; roof,  weathered;  sash,  white.  Suggestion  No.  2 — Lower  story,  fawn; 
upper  story,  neutral  drab;  roof  and  trimming,  including  half-timber  work  in  upper  stories, 
dark  brown.  ( This  will  prove  better  for  green  surroundings  than  the  original  color  scheme.) 


Painting  is  not  an  annual  or  biennial 
expense  when  Pure  White  Lead  and 
Linseed  Oil  are  used. 


Plate  X . 

See  description  on  page  opposite 


J 


